Art Rotterdam is the kind of fair that makes two hours feel ridiculously short. A visit during the press preview on Thursday 26 March offered enough time to get excited, take in the atmosphere and discover some standout booths, but nowhere near enough time to do the whole thing justice.
Image: Beautiful painting by Rotterdam-based artist Melissa Moria.
A fair that rewards slow looking
Set inside Ahoy, Art Rotterdam 2026 feels spacious, clean and surprisingly calm for a major contemporary art fair. The aisles are wide, the booths have room to breathe, and the mix of media keeps the walk interesting. Photography sits comfortably next to sculpture, installations, painting and conceptual work, while the integrated Unseen Photo section gives the fair an extra layer for anyone drawn to lens-based art. Art Rotterdam’s own floor plan shows how the fair is spread across main presentations, new work, projections, sculpture and photography
What stands out most is the mood. Even during preview hours, the fair feels more curious than frantic. Visitors drift, pause, return, and talk. Some booths pull you in quietly, others announce themselves straight away, but the overall impression is one of generosity. There is a lot to see, and much of it asks for more than a passing glance.
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Works that stood out
Among the memorable stops was form. photography, where work by Ksenia Malafeeva caught the eye in the Unseen section. It was one of those presentations that rewarded close looking, with a photographic stillness that slowed the pace of the visit.
At Heejsteck#, one of the highlights came through the gallery’s contribution to the projections programme, where Art Rotterdam spotlighted Add to Cart by Peer Vink and Tom Putman. The work revolves around an artificial grotto, waterfall and bar, using the shopping mall as a slightly absurd dream world. It added a playful and critical note to the fair.
Another strong presentation appeared at Josilda da Conceição, where Maria van der Togt featured in a booth that explored everyday fragments through reflection, distortion and glossy surfaces. It was one of the more tactile and visually intriguing presentations in the fair.
At Contour Gallery, the works by Saidou Dicko stood out for their delicacy and colour. The booth paired Dicko with Anni Mertens in a presentation centred on vulnerability, materiality and transformation. One of Dicko’s works listed around the fair was even titled Yellow Spring, which helps explain why the yellow pieces lingered in the mind.
A major highlight came at Podbielski Contemporary, where Cristina de Middel’s The Afronauts shared space with Giulio Di Sturco’s Where Diamonds Are Born. The combination worked beautifully. De Middel’s now-iconic photo series revisits Zambia’s eccentric 1960s space dream, while Di Sturco looks at the deeper histories and systems behind the diamond trade. It was one of the booths that stayed with you long after moving on.
There were other memorable moments too, including photography at OG Gallery with Eren Göktürk, and the booth by noon from Ghent, where Anthony Leenders brought floral imagery into the mix.
Good conversations, strong booths
Some of the best moments at art fairs happen through conversation, and that was certainly true here. Chiara Boscolo of 10 & zero uno brought a thoughtful Unseen presentation to booth E15, pairing Andrea Luzi with Baseera Khan. Meanwhile, Lucia Orsi at Podbielski Contemporary offered one of the warmest encounters on the floor, in a booth that was already among the strongest on view.
It was also good to see Melissa Moria included in South Forward at DHB Art Space, where newly developed work by Moria, Karla King and Urvee Kulkarni connected local stories, sustainability and Rotterdam South. For a city audience, that local thread gave the fair an extra layer.
Art Rotterdam 2026 does what a good fair should do. It gives you enough to remember, and more than enough reason to come back for another round.
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Final thoughts
Art Rotterdam 2026 offers a dense yet approachable overview of contemporary art. The fair’s mix of photography, painting, sculpture and installations keeps the eye moving and the mind engaged. I left energised by the conversations I had and the new artists I discovered. Two hours were not enough.
